Technical Field
This disclosure relates to the exploration of cavities, more specifically the exploration of cavities of small dimensions containing areas not directly visible to the naked eye.
Description of the Related Art
Such an exploration can occur with the assistance of an instrument comprising an optical system and a light source to provide images of the area in question. Such an instrument may include an endoscope.
It conventionally comprises a head, or exploration head, which corresponds to the part intended to be introduced into a cavity to be explored and to provide data from this cavity to an outside module intended for managing the interface with a user of the exploration device to provide the user with images of the cavity.
A known exploration device consists of a plurality of optical fibers intended to be introduced into the cavity to be explored, where it will send optical signals from the explored area to a module which is intended to remain outside the cavity. In this context, the outside module comprises an image sensor which is responsible for capturing the optical signals transmitted by the optical fibers. In such an architecture, the optical signals transmitted from inside the cavity to outside the cavity are therefore processed outside the cavity, in the image sensor found in the outside module.
Note that such an exploration device has a significant cost because of the presence of the optical fibers connecting the exploration head to the image sensor. Therefore this device cannot reasonably be a disposable device discarded after one use.
Because of this, the equipment must be disinfected, or at least the optical fibers, between two subsequent uses of the exploration device, with each disinfection presenting an equally significant cost.
In addition, the transmission of optical signals by the optical fibers to the image sensor located in the outside module can degrade the quality of the images obtained in the outside module.
Also known is an exploration device as described in the document U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,295, in the form of a capsule adapted for introduction into the cavity to be explored. Such a capsule comprises a CMOS sensor coupled to a radio transmission unit able to send to the outside the information captured inside the cavity to be explored, providing images of the cavity to the user. For the CMOS sensor to be small in size, a flexible support is used for the integrated circuit. Such an architecture is based on a technology which induces a significant cost in the manufacture of such an exploration device.
Document EP 1 400 214 also describes a cavity exploration device, comprising an exploration part intended to be introduced into the cavity to be explored and comprising a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. A dedicated housing for this image sensor is provided in the exploration part. In such an architecture, the integrated circuit comprising the CMOS image sensor as well as the connections between it and an outside module occupy space in the exploration part. Conventionally, when connecting a wire to a conducting pad of an integrated circuit support via a mechanical connection, male and female connectors are used so that the connection has significant mechanical strength. One of these connectors is soldered to the integrated circuit, and the other connector is crimped to the wire. Then the wire, or micro-cable, is connected to the integrated circuit by the connection between the male and female connectors. However, such a connection occupies a relatively significant amount of space, and therefore accommodating the integrated circuit requires a significant amount of space.
Saving space, however, is an important factor in the exploration of cavities of small size.